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Category Archives: Nail Lacquer

Take a look at the swatches of these super-fab colours I found at the pharmacy on clearance (very rarely, if ever, will I pay for cosmetics at full-price).

I paid $4.96 for each of these beautiful colours. The teal colour is called Electric Blue. Two coats is all I needed to make this colour look its best. I’m a major sucker for anything blue, green, or especially teal. Electric Blue is a gentle but stand out-ish cream-based colour, and for myself it is a colour I’d wear daily (because I’m a teal fanatic, I must have EVERY variation of teal on the market). The second colour is a gorgeous rich sapphire blue, called Twilight, that has speckles of holographic glitter in it. This is definitely a fancy and celebrational colour, that you’d wear when you’re feeling extra glitzy, or going somewhere special.

Here is a second pic, that shows off the glitter in the darker blue better.

Ignoring my horribly dry and Canadian-winter-abused cuticles, you can see the glitter and both colours are real pretty. The blue does need to be shaken up every time I apply a new coat, but I find that is a good habit to get into when using any nail lacquer.

I have typically only used Orly nail lacquer, but I have seen several Orly “subsidiary” brands, if you will. Definitely worth checking these out! I found them at Rexall for under $5, but I don’t think they are all that expensive at full price.

It would be such a great thing if I was able to indulge in my beauty fetish on a 24/7 basis; putting most of my energy into writing about all the fun things that tickle my fancy, and that I’m sure tickle yours as well! Thank you to those who keep reading, and commenting! It inspires me to keep going.

Onto what you’ve been waiting for!

left to right: Sew Psyched, Smokin’ Hot, No More Film, E-nuf is E-nuf, and Turquoise & Caicos

I will be giving you a brief review of each of these Essie colours. As I had mentioned previously, I’ll be reviewing each product based on ease of application, how many coats required for best colour, how true the colour in the bottle is to the applied colour, longevity of the polishes, and drying time!

Sew Psyched #704: Two coats is all you need of this polish for maximum colour. Essie’s site calls this colour a “cashmere-soft sage pewter”. I would never be able to come up with such an elaborate description, myself, but now that I think of it – that is so accurate! In simpler terms, I’d describe it as a dull green with grey tint. It applies very easily, and the consistency is not too thin or too thick. This colour lasted for 3 days on my nails without chipping, and I pick at my nails like nothing else! Love it! I will definitely buy this colour again. This is my most used Essie colour.

Smokin’ Hot # 700: This colour is thinner in consistency than Sew Psyched, though two coats is still sufficient to achieve the best look. It is a delightful rich and creamy grey-ish brown. It lasted for about 4 days on my nails. This is another neutral that goes well with everything, but is so unique that it never fails to excite me each time I put it on. Win!

No More Film # 911: This colour hails from Essie’s recent Resort 2012 Collection! I absolutely adore this intensely vivid creamy dark purple. The consistency is the same as the previous, although it is much more pigmented; with one layer, I was able to completely cover my nails. It felt awkward only using one coat, so I used two for safe measure. It lasted only 1 1/2 days before chipping, but I’m willing to give it many more chances before I decide whether I’ll buy it again or more.

E-nuf is E-nuf # 576: Some may call it a deep orange, but I’d say it’s a beautifully bright coral colour. This polish burns so brightly (and by that I mean it’s intensely bright; I do not set my nail polish on fire), but it’s such a charismatic colour that I can’t help but keep going back to it. Two coats are all you need, though it is equally pigmented as No More Film. I had this colour on my nails for 4 days before it chipped. Consistency is similar to the others; it is very easy to apply. Will re-purchase!

Turquoise & Caicos #752: Teal is my absolutely favourite colour, and that includes (for the most part), any variation of aqua, or green-ish blue. I had eyed this polish for months at the store until I decided to buy it (ridiculous; I know!). I wish I could say this colour blew me away, but it didn’t. The problem was that it took at least 3 coats for the colour to become opaque and accurate to the colour in the bottle. And then took longer to try, hence more likely to screw up. It did stay on my nails, without chipping, for about 4 days. I still enjoy using it because it is such a refreshing and summery minty ocean colour that reminds me of days on the beach. I will probably not buy it again; I am still on the lookout for a colour like this that is more pigmented.

All of these Essie nail lacquers dried quickly (a couple of minutes) and evenly.

Love, love, love!

Now, if only I had a better camera (or iPhone 4s) to capture these colours better!

It’s been about 36 hours since I’ve applied the Essie colours, and I will be reviewing them all based on ease of application, how many coats required for best colour, how true the colour in the bottle is to the applied colour, longevity of the polishes, and drying time!

Please ignore the sad state of my fingers; I am a hang-nail biter, and it gets worse when I am stressed, or studying hard.

Many at-home manicures and use of essential oils has helped with the quality of my nails, though. I make a habit of soaking them in either olive oil or coconut oil at least once a week.

From left to right: Essie’s Sew Psyched, Smokin’ Hot, & No More Film

Stay-tuned for colour swatches, and the final verdict on these amazing colours from Essie! What are your favourite Essie colours, and why?

Like this:

To my delight – Rexall had a sale on Essie polishes, and they had their new Resort 2012 Collection. Being the somewhat frugal woman that I am (ha!), I only bought my most favourite colour. “No More Film” is a delightfully deep purple with a royal blue-ish hue. I can’t way to show all of you how this looks on!

Essie's Resort Collection 2012 - from left to right: Pink-A-Boo, Sure Shot, She's Picture Perfect, No More Film

With September well on it’s way to its end, and October close by, I thought it was high time to embrace (albeit reluctantly) the fall season and all of the colours that make me think of all things fall! Browns, reds, oranges, yellows, and everything in between!

There are a few products in my collection that really stand out to me as great colours for the fall season, and in this entry I will be showcasing these products to you in all of their glory! I’ve got two nail polishes, one blush, and an eyeshadow that I will be raving about today.

Nicole by OPI's The Right Thing

Sephora by OPI's Rumba Romance

Our first polish is a Nicole by OPI nail polish in The Right Thing. This bright orange polish has a slight shimmer to it with a tiny hint of pink to it. This colour reminds me of squash, and vegetable gardens, and has a kind of harvest feel to it. Okay, so maybe I’m reading way too deep into this nail polish colour, but I’ve worn it many times and this is the feeling I get from it. It’s colours like this that help me enjoy fall!

Second, is a Sephora by OPI shade that screams cinnamon, spice, and everything nice. Rumba Romance is its name, and to be honest I am not sure if it’s available at Sephora anymore because I did buy it on clearance. The colour is a beautiful bronze-pumpkin-esque shade with small shimmery bits! Hello, pumpkin pie! I don’t even care for pumpkin pie much, but this shade makes me want to dive right in!

Nyx blush in Terra Cotta

Onto our blush! The particular blush that gives me fond memories of fall is a blush by Nyx in the shade Terra Cotta. Nyx is most definitely one of my favourite makeup brands that constantly surprises me with new and exciting products that are great quality and also cruelty-free. This particular shade is a shimmery light brown with a pink-hue to it. I love this shade for fall because it reminds me of the colours of leaves you crush under your feet as they fall from the trees. It is subtle, can work relatively well to define and contour, and the shimmer adds that little extra oomph to your look!

Annabelle's monoshadow in Brown Frost

Annabelle has some delightful products, and the product in particular that I’m including in this entry is their mono eyeshadow in Brown Frost. I brought this mono eyeshadow because I had been tempted to try out their products from a Beauty Guru on YouTube. This eye shadow is so versatile. It has a shimmer, but it is very subtle when applied to your eyelids. It blends beautifully, and is a lovely rich brown that is gentle enough for day to day, but can also be used to intensify an evening look. Browns, bronzes, and oranges are my favourite colours to wear on my lids for fall, and Brown Frost compliments them so well.

There we have it! Colours that inspire me during the fall season! I hope this helps ease you into the fall season and inspires you to try out some of the products mentioned!

I’ve had a mild nail polish obsession (I say mild because I can usually talk myself down to buying only two or three if there is a big sale) for the past few years or so. I remember when it began. I was searching for a pretty colour or two, and stumbled upon my old dried up and stale nail polish collection from my teens. None of it was wearable, and most resembled old trends (but crackle polish is back!), and I preferred to begin anew.

I have tried many brands, from low-end to high end. I definitely have my preferences, and today I would like to reveal to all of you my absolutely favourite brand of nail polish. They are my favourite because for several reasons: price, their polish consistency, ease of application, how long-lasting they are, and choice of colours. And of course, the most important thing: they must be cruelty-free!

There is much debate over whether it is okay for us cruelty-free supporters to buy from companies that used to test but no longer do, or if they did not test for most of their history but were recently bought out by a company that does, or if they have constantly gone back and forth with regards to their animal testing policy. I will support a company who used to test, and has changed their ways, but do not feel I could trust a company (Essie, for example, whose colour selection I absolutely love!) that was bought out by a company that is well-known for conducting animal testing. In that case, the company simply can no longer be trusted to maintain their test-free policy. Here is some information about L’Oreal’s purchase of Essie that I found on Fashionista.com. I do love Essie’s colour selection, as I mentioned, but am not a big fan of the nail polish it self (at least on me). It isn’t the easiest for application, and at $11.99 here per bottle, I definitely expect something better.

my humble nail polish collection (which includes Revlon, Essie, OPI, Orly, Nyx, NYC, GOSH, and Seche) - some polishes are from brands I no longer support, but did at the time because of their animal testing policy.

The brand I am currently raving about, and have been raving about to my friends and family since I started using it is not OPI (who I recently discovered was bought by a testing company – at this lovely blog), not Spa Ritual, not Revlon, not Zoya, but GOSH Cosmetics!

I purchased my first GOSH nail products from Shoppers Drug Mart (they are in their own section away from the other polishes) several months ago. There was an awesome sale that lasted for about 2-3 weeks ($5 per polish!), so I got my pick of polishes. I don’t have a ton of them yet, but I definitely took advantage of the $5 sale. While GOSH does not have a massive collection of colours like nail giants Essie, OPI, or Revlon, the colours they do have are gorgeous, and really stand out. Their polishes often only require one coat of polish, at most two! They dry very quickly, and and since I only have to apply one to two coats, I definitely find the polish stays on longer and is less likely to chip!

I tend to prefer cream polishes over shimmer or glitter polishes, but GOSH has some unique shimmer colours. #540 Ocean, for example, is a majestic swirl of greens and blues, and really does remind me of the ocean. #550 Purple Heart reminds me of an oil slick. It has tones of purple, blue, and green, depending on how it is reflecting the light! My least favourite of the bunch would be #567 Metallic Green. It is a good quality polish, but I have not had the same urge to use it like I have the others!

On top of GOSH’s polishes being my absolute favourite, they are also formaldehyde, and toluene-free!